Squirrels !!!!!!!

[b54red]

Has anyone figured out a way to keep squirrels out of the garden. My fall garden has already been decimated by their digging and burying pecans and such. I had a beautiful stand of carrots until they were dug up in the past week. In a square yard of garden there are sometimes dozens of new holes dug daily and the new plantings are the collateral damage. They have gotten worse every year. Up til now I could live with the damage but now it is overwhelming my ability to replant and replace the damaged seedlings. They have been digging into my wife's potted plants and the last straw was going into my small greenhouse today and finding my seedling trays dug up.
I've tried red pepper flakes with no success; it rains too often here and it doesn't seem to deter them. Even my dogs have given up on chasing them away. The dogs seem to have gone to a live and let live policy with these furry tailed rats.
If I could use a shotgun I might be able to thin them out, but in a suburban neighborhood that might be frowned on. Don't think the police would look on it too kindly either. My backyard neighbor has been trapping them but they now ignore the traps. I set some rat traps for them with no success. I think these little buggers are just a little too clever. I guess I'll have to try my sons old bb gun.

[mjc]

Dog/cat...

Professional trapper.

I hope your neighbor wasn't live trapping and then taking them out to the 'country' and releasing them...that doesn't do anything other than get us who live out in the country ticked off (unless you bring them to the door, cleaned and ready for the freezer) or they come back and now are trap wary.

[piegirl]

I found pieces of chicken wire (free at a garage sale) that were just wide enough for my rows - it does help b/c they don't like to run across it and can't dig into it - at least not successfully. Given enough time, I am sure they would figure out how to flip it over! The chicken wire works really well on newly planted beds and small foliage. Coffee cans go around all my tomato plants when they are first set out. When the trees next door were removed most of the problems disappeared. But they are adaptable and I saw 6 running amuck the other day. Now there are five. I use hav-aheart traps and relocate them to wherever I am going - the grocery store (4miles), across the creek and 6 lane road (2 miles, 1 bridge), etc. piegirl

[mjc]

Originally Posted by piegirl

I use hav-aheart traps and relocate them to wherever I am going - the grocery store (4miles), across the creek and 6 lane road (2 miles, 1 bridge), etc. piegirl

Everyone...before relocating critters, please check with your state's fish and game department. Many common 'marauders' are prohibited from being relocated (certain ones (like raccoons) in certain states)...so there may laws/procedures in place to deal with this.

Also, in many areas it is illegal to dump animals without the express permission of the property owner.

The dumped animals are either going to displace the ones already there (unlikely as they are spoiled, pampered things), cause a nuisance to the property owners near where they are dumped or try (and squirrels are pretty good at this...unless the distance is measured in tens of miles) return to their original homes. Live trapping and 'releasing' is not a kindness...if you can't bring yourself to permanently deal with the problem, call in a professional.

[icelord]

There is no other option you must eradicate, If you live trap them, they WILL be trap wary! Squirrels will travel 10 or more miles to get to where their stand of trees are located { original location} Gray's will migrate in large numbers when the population is at a peak cycle. If you are not inclined to kill, then take them to someone in your area that will utilize the meat, there are always hunters around somewhere. By letting your problem squirrels go, you are hurting someone elses garden or prized flower beds,as squirrels are very fond of flower bulbs and tubers.

Dean

[b54red]

Originally Posted by icelord

There is no other option you must eradicate, If you live trap them, they WILL be trap wary! Squirrels will travel 10 or more miles to get to where their stand of trees are located { original location} Gray's will migrate in large numbers when the population is at a peak cycle. If you are not inclined to kill, then take them to someone in your area that will utilize the meat, there are always hunters around somewhere. By letting your problem squirrels go, you are hurting someone elses garden or prized flower beds,as squirrels are very fond of flower bulbs and tubers.

Dean

Oh after seeing what they did in my greenhouse I'm very inclined to eradicate them. I'm just not sure how long it will take, one or two a day with bb gun will hardly make a dent in them. The squirrel population just exploded this year. I have neighbors with pecan trees all around me and patches of woods with a small creek nearby to make matters worse. I put different types of rodent poisons in my shed up high where only rodents could get to them. The poisons killed a few and then they avoided it; like I said they seem too clever. By the way my neighbor was killing the ones he trapped before the others figured out those peanuts and corn weren't free and passed the word.

[mjc]

Well, it sounds like you need to get yourself one of these...trained for squirrels, of course...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3H8B_aW3ZQ

[icelord]

Originally Posted by mjc

Well, it sounds like you need to get yourself one of these...trained for squirrels, of course...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3H8B_aW3ZQ

L.O.L, Hey I want one!!

[Aussiemark]

Motion sensored sprinkler. I am planing on trying one to deal with my bird problem.

Don't like the idea of sprinkling the tomatoes, but may be ok in limited use, and would be perfect for most other crops.

Mark

[b54red]

Originally Posted by mjc

Well, it sounds like you need to get yourself one of these...trained for squirrels, of course...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3H8B_aW3ZQ

Thanks for the laugh. I haven't heard that in years. I'm afraid that monkey would shoot all 3 of my dogs.

[Blueaussi]

I gave my sister a motion detector sprinkler for her birthday back in May. She had more problems with deer, especially in the peppers. It worked up until about August, then I guess the deer got used to it, because she sent me a picture of 5 sets of glowing eyes in her garden a couple of weeks ago. The bold thngs don't even run from her unless she yells.

I wonder if some of those motion activated Halloween decorations would work? You'd have to move them around or else they'd acclimate, but it might keep them out long enough for the plants to get established.

I keep waiting for one of the handier folks like dcarch to cobble together a motion detector sprinkler that has a strob light and a voice recorder added to it so we can cuss and shine flashlights at the varmints in absentia.

[PaulF]

About three years ago we were overrun by squirrels, so I began to selectively shoot them. If they were in my garden or climbing on my bird feeders they got shot. After several eradications, the rest got the idea and stayed away from the death zones. One part of the yard has two large oak trees where they harvest the acorns. For two years there have been no raids on the bird feeders or the garden. Squirrels are smart enough to know where it is safe to be and where to avoid.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by PaulF

About three years ago we were overrun by squirrels, so I began to selectively shoot them. If they were in my garden or climbing on my bird feeders they got shot. After several eradications, the rest got the idea and stayed away from the death zones. One part of the yard has two large oak trees where they harvest the acorns. For two years there have been no raids on the bird feeders or the garden. Squirrels are smart enough to know where it is safe to be and where to avoid.

My biggest problem in the fall is they are in my neighbors pecan trees, then they decide to go bury a few dozen pecans in my garden every day. Multiply that by several dozen squirrels every day and you can imagine the mess. It is even worse in the late winter and early spring when they start trying to find what they buried.
They seem to be very smart but they sure have a hard time finding the nuts they buried its like me and my car keys.
Dispatched 2 more today. Hopefully they will get the message and stay out of the garden.

[tjg911]

i agree and feel your frustration. when i planted my garlic last year they showed up and i had to cover it with chicken wire and shot them to stop them from burying acorns in the leaf mulch.

have you used a gas powered (not pump air but the co2 cartridges) pellet gun? i have a pump up rifle and the max pumps is 10. i have hit them but they have tough skins and it just scares them tho it would cause them to leave for the day but if you are not home all day this is not going to work. i did manage to kill one but it must have been a lucky shot in the head. i suspect a co2 pellet gun has more power. a pellet gun is quiet. is a bow and arrow an option?

squirrels experience population booms, i know rabbits are on a 7 year cycle, maybe this year is a boom year?

and as people have said, please don't bring these pests somewhere else, if you don't want them in your yard what makes you think someone else does?

[b54red]

Originally Posted by tjg911

i agree and feel your frustration. when i planted my garlic last year they showed up and i had to cover it with chicken wire and shot them to stop them from burying acorns in the leaf mulch.

have you used a gas powered (not pump air but the co2 cartridges) pellet gun? i have a pump up rifle and the max pumps is 10. i have hit them but they have tough skins and it just scares them tho it would cause them to leave for the day but if you are not home all day this is not going to work. i did manage to kill one but it must have been a lucky shot in the head. i suspect a co2 pellet gun has more power. a pellet gun is quiet. is a bow and arrow an option?

squirrels experience population booms, i know rabbits are on a 7 year cycle, maybe this year is a boom year?

and as people have said, please don't bring these pests somewhere else, if you don't want them in your yard what makes you think someone else does?

My choices in weaponry are limited by the closeness of neighbors houses, even using a bb gun, I have to be very careful where I shoot. I certainly don't want to break a window or worse.
I am using my son's old pump up pellet rifle with bbs for ammo. It sure doesn't kill them every time I hit them; I think you have to make a head shot to drop one immediately. I got another today and hit 2 more. That makes 5 in 3 days and I can't tell that they are becoming less bold. That carrot patch I replanted 2 days ago looked like a mining project in miniature today. Will be replanting it again until I can get a decent stand unmolested by squirrels. I guess I'll just have to keep plunking away at them until they eventually get the message or the old bb gun gives up the ghost.